Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.1, 2018

Zhu Guangqian’s Aesthetic Construction and Global Consciousness

(Abstract)

Chen Wangheng and Ding Lirong

Zhu Guangqian is an important founder of modern Chinese aesthetics. His   aesthetic system has global consciousness, which mainly embodied in his three masterpieces: Literary Psychology, Poetics and The History of Western Aesthetics, and can be examined from three aspects. Firstly, his understanding of Western aesthetics is influenced by Chinese culture. He studied in Europe, and Western aesthetics was an important source of his aesthetic system, but he accepted it in the lens of Chinese aesthetic tradition and appreciation. Secondly, Chinese aesthetics is consciously regarded the main bloc of his aesthetic system. Having studied Chinese classics since childhood, Zhu maintains the subject consciousness of the Chinese nationality in his aesthetic system. Thirdly, he accepted Marxism and reconstructed his original system in his late years.